At 250 dome, you're probably looking closer to 2 hours a pound. You can always bump temp up in the morning if it's taking too long. If you finish early, wrap in foil, wrap in towels and stick it in a cooler. It will stay hot for hours. And don't worry if your Egg wants to settle in a 275 instead of 250. Most have a sweet spot. 25 degrees doesn't make a difference, and if you start chasing temps you are in for a sleepless night. Make sure you catch the temp on the way up. As you get close, start shutting down the vents. Very hard to cool down the Egg if you overshoot. Get it stablized and don't worry about the drop in temp when you put in the meat. It will come back up on its own.

Well change of plans I have two buts about 9 pounds a piece how long at 250. Also I didn't tell y'all I am running a party q guru so hold temp wont be a worry. Just put them on think they will be done by 630 amor do u think i should cook them more like 300 degrees so they are ready at 630am. I am taking them to a lady at work.

I would think at this point to get 2 9lb butts done that quick you should probably have the temp at 300-325 dome. This person at work must be important to promise pork butt that early.

I don't know of anyone who has run out of charcoal at that low a temp, just people who haven't built their fire correctly. And then the charcoal goes out. I suppose you could run out of charcoal if it isn't a properly sealed egg with the dome/gasket and such. Good luck and hope you get some sleep.

I raise my kids, cook and golf. When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.

Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season.

My friend and neighbor just got an electric smoker, to spite enjoying everything I've cooked for him on the Egg. He plugs it in, puts in chips, and walks away. Simple. Easier? Yes. Better? I don't think so. He loves it though. Something about a real wood barbecue. My point, if I have one, is it may be a challenge, but once you get the hang of it, it's so much better than others can do.

Large BGE; Midlothian, VirginiaI like Pig Butts and I can not lie.
"Barbecue is a journey, one meal at a time."

Many people run out of fuel - wake up to a cold egg and spoiled meat !!

dint know how u can run out of fuel on a 10 hour cook. I have cook a lot longer than that and still had fuel.

On my first overnight cook I made the mistake of following the directions on BigGreenEgg.com to fill up my firebox to the top of the fire box. I had to put more charcoal in at 12 hours. I learned later that I should have filled up the fire box and half the way up the fire ring. I will try that the next low and slow cook.

I bought the electric after cooking on Webber Kettle cookers for many years -- i cooked butts on itthree times. True, set it and walk away, but the end result just wasn't there. And a major PITA to clean up afterwords!! As i said, i have read many problems with fires going out, some due to no fuel, and others kick it up a notch about halfway through probably due to "no oxygen". Owners asking if the butt was still good??? You will see the "Electric Unit" in this photo, with a glass window in the door..

I agree with the others, if you want those butts done by 6:30am you need to crank up the heat to at least 300. Pulling them will also take time (usually takes me 20-30 mins to pull, but my family is kinda picky about fat)

Thanks for everyones input. Only had one mistake not waking up at 4 to check on it. The party q died and when i got up at 5 the grill was at 180 and meat was about 175. I fired the grill back up with new batterys and ramped the temp up to about 350 for the last hour and a half when i pulled to the meat off the grill it was about 196. Looks awesome will have to post some pics later.

I bought the electric after cooking on Webber Kettle cookers for many years -- i cooked butts on itthree times. True, set it and walk away, but the end result just wasn't there. And a major PITA to clean up afterwords!! As i said, i have read many problems with fires going out, some due to no fuel, and others kick it up a notch about halfway through probably due to "no oxygen". Owners asking if the butt was still good??? You will see the "Electric Unit" in this photo, with a glass window in the door..

I have an electric just like that, you don't start them and walk away though, you have to feed it wood chips for as long as you want smoke. My food has turned out much better with the egg, and I think it is less work /oversite.

My friend and neighbor just got an electric smoker, to spite enjoying everything I've cooked for him on the Egg. He plugs it in, puts in chips, and walks away. Simple. Easier? Yes. Better? I don't think so. He loves it though. Something about a real wood barbecue. My point, if I have one, is it may be a challenge, but once you get the hang of it, it's so much better than others can do.

The egg is a solid machine, but I enjoy being with it, tending it, or being one with my egg. Really, just some excuse to sit on the porch and kick back. What's the fun in plugging something in and walking away. I've got an oven for that. My oven cooks a lot of things but is not made for BBQ!! There's something sinful about the oxymoron "Electric Smoker". Let me have your man card pleas, I want to build a fire with a propane torch!!!

My friend and neighbor just got an electric smoker, to spite enjoying everything I've cooked for him on the Egg. He plugs it in, puts in chips, and walks away. Simple. Easier? Yes. Better? I don't think so. He loves it though. Something about a real wood barbecue. My point, if I have one, is it may be a challenge, but once you get the hang of it, it's so much better than others can do.

The egg is a solid machine, but I enjoy being with it, tending it, or being one with my egg. Really, just some excuse to sit on the porch and kick back. What's the fun in plugging something in and walking away. I've got an oven for that. My oven cooks a lot of things but is not made for BBQ!! There's something sinful about the oxymoron "Electric Smoker". Let me have your man card pleas, I want to build a fire with a propane torch!!!

I agree with you. And he's a simple man's man otherwise; likes NASCAR, Miller Lite, guns, and trucks. But he falls short in my book on cooking. He's a good cook, just very plain recipes. He just likes salt and pepper on his Butt. He does say you have to replenish the chips every hours or so. He also said that Butts make a mess of the smoker too. Not for me.

Large BGE; Midlothian, VirginiaI like Pig Butts and I can not lie.
"Barbecue is a journey, one meal at a time."

Spent three hundred bucks on the Electric Masterbuilt Smoker at Sam's Club. I have had all kinds of wood fired offset cookers and mastered the use of the Weber Kettles over the years. Been thru five Webers!! As said, i smoked butts in the electric unit three times, and the mess it created wasn't worth the product it produced. Consider the glass window built into the door. Well, it is a good selling point, but as soon as the smoke starts, you can't see thru the glass. Then the glass is a poor insulator, so it sweats and the liquid mixed with smoke runs down the door and onto the floor. It has a limited size area for smoke chips, so you have to monitor the unit and add chips bas the cook goes on. The finished product just didn't have the same quality as a Weber cooked butt. Probably for the average "back yard week end warrior" it would be great, but after cooking on my webers and offset cookers, i gave up after three cooks.

The egg is a solid machine, but I enjoy being with it, tending it, or being one with my egg. Really, just some excuse to sit on the porch and kick back. What's the fun in plugging something in and walking away. I've got an oven for that. My oven cooks a lot of things but is not made for BBQ!! There's something sinful about the oxymoron "Electric Smoker". Let me have your man card pleas, I want to build a fire with a propane torch!!!

I agree with you. And he's a simple man's man otherwise; likes NASCAR, Miller Lite, guns, and trucks. But he falls short in my book on cooking. He's a good cook, just very plain recipes. He just likes salt and pepper on his Butt. He does say you have to replenish the chips every hours or so. He also said that Butts make a mess of the smoker too. Not for me.

I agree with y'all. Cooked pork chops tonight, listening to the Carolina - Clemson baseball game and drinking a Miller Lite. I plan to do the same thing Sunday afternoon but I am going to try baby back ribs 3-2-1. Carolina - Clemson will be playing the 3rd game this weekend and I plan to enjoy cooking for my family, listening to the game and having a Miller Lite.